Clovelly residents and visitors will not have to pay for beach parking after Randwick City Council voted down its proposed visitor parking scheme, ending months of debate over beach access and parking across the municipality.
The decision followed a strong community response to the proposal, which drew more than 12,000 pieces of feedback from residents, business owners and community groups across the Randwick local government area. Clovelly was among the beachside suburbs that would have been affected by the changes.
Had the plan gone ahead, Clovelly would have been one of the beaches most affected. Council had proposed introducing parking meters in 250 spaces, making it the third-largest paid parking area under the revised scheme after Maroubra and La Perouse.
Clovelly Was Set to See One of the Biggest Changes
The revised proposal would have introduced paid parking in council-managed beach parking areas at Clovelly. Visitors would have paid $5.70 an hour during summer and $4.70 an hour during winter, with charges applying daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Parking would have been limited to four hours to encourage turnover during busy periods.
However, the revised proposal looked very different from the original plan announced earlier this year. After reviewing community feedback, council officers reduced the number of proposed metered spaces across the six beaches from 3,300 to about 1,400.
The revised scheme also removed many proposed meters from residential streets and business areas near beaches. It retained several free parking areas, reducing the overall footprint of the proposal compared with the original plan.
Residents Raised Concerns About Access to a Public Beach
The proposal prompted debate across Randwick’s coastal suburbs. Community feedback raised concerns about affordability, access to public beaches and the possible effect on local businesses.
Some opponents also argued that paid parking could gradually expand beyond beach car parks into surrounding neighbourhoods in future years if similar measures were introduced later.
The revised proposal responded to several of those concerns. It included exemptions for surf clubs and junior Nippers programs. Council also changed its recommendation on residential permits. Instead of allowing one permit per household, the revised plan would have allowed eligible households to obtain permits for each registered vehicle.
Community Feedback Reshaped the Proposal
The revised scheme reflected several months of public consultation. Council officers adjusted the proposal after receiving thousands of submissions, survey responses and petitions from across the municipality.
Besides reducing the number of proposed paid parking spaces, the revised plan also removed Yarra Bay from the scheme. It also excluded most beachside shopping strips after business owners raised concerns about the possible impact on customer access.
The changes significantly reduced the revenue expected from the proposal. The original scheme was forecast to generate about $9 million a year through parking fees and compliance. Under the revised version, that estimate fell to between $3 million and $3.6 million annually.
Council Sought a New Way to Fund Beach Services
Throughout the consultation, Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said the proposal aimed to balance the interests of local ratepayers and visitors.
Council said it spends about $23.5 million each year maintaining beaches, supporting surf lifesaving services, cleaning public areas and maintaining coastal infrastructure. It also said a large share of beach visitors come from outside the Randwick local government area and argued that visitor contributions would help reduce the financial burden on local ratepayers.
Opponents, however, maintained that access to Sydney’s public beaches should remain free and that paid parking was not the best way to address council’s funding challenge.
Parking Meters Are Off the Table—for Now
Despite the changes made after consultation, councillors voted 10–5 on 30 June to reject the visitor paid parking proposal.
The decision means the planned trial at Little Bay will not proceed, and parking meters will not be introduced at Clovelly under the current proposal.
For now, residents and visitors will continue using the existing parking arrangements around Clovelly Beach.
Even so, the broader issues remain. Council still faces the ongoing cost of maintaining its beaches while managing parking demand during peak periods. Following the vote, councillors indicated they would consider other ways to improve parking turnover and identify alternative sources of revenue to help fund beach services in the future.
Published 3-July-2026
